YOTAKO NATION, JAPAN - MONTH III, YEAR 2075
"Please, Master! I meant no harm. We tried! We lied to the best of our abili-"
I had to stop myself from flinching from the loud slap that rang through the throne room, which was really our Master's bedroom.
He'd been laying on the bed enjoying the luxury his money and power gave him: three naked women on his bed, seemingly unconscious and worn out.
Even though I was six years old, I knew what the Master loved. Sex. Money. Power. And most importantly:
Control.
Some would say a six-year-old shouldn’t know the meaning of any of these things. Or the significance. I guess, an average six-year-old wouldn’t need to. However, I was taught very quickly that I wasn’t like any other child and I’d have to “grow up” fast to stay alive.
That meant learning things that adults were supposed to learn through experience, and not by forceful watching.
The girl next to me trembled and tears welled up in her eyes. She knew what she'd have to do thanks to her mother's failure. If she wanted to become a Reaper of Beauty, she'd have to give our Master the control he demanded.
"Your purpose was to seduce him long enough for my men to get a hold of those documents and you failed! I could send Xia over there and she'd return with what I needed faster and she's SIX!" Master snapped and with a flick of his wrist, the woman in question was on the ground.
She trembled on the floor as she pressed her hand against her now red cheek. Tears continuously streamed down her face as her eyes shone with fear and desperation, and all I could do was stand there with a blank expression.
Emotions showed vulnerability around my Master. I was trained from the moment I could walk that my emotions should be locked up and not put on display in the Master's presence. He didn't care about our pain, sadness, or happiness. He cared about his plans being accomplished, or in other cases, the pleasure he delivered to us in bed. That’s what he stated, over and over again.
I knew that I'd one day be like those women on his bed, their bodies splattered on the rich silk fabric after hours of pleasing our Master.
I didn't know what to expect, or if it was actually as these women made it sound like, but whenever I was forced to stay in his room for "learning purposes," the women put on a show of moans and a complicated word I didn't like saying. Orgasms?
I personally thought sex was disgusting. There was nothing beautiful about it. Sweat, screams, and painful slaps were all I saw.
To be honest, I'd only seen one woman who had made the interaction rather beautiful. She was who I idolized; the woman who I wished to become one day.
She'd been the best Reaper of our small unit here in Yotako, and the Master adored her like a work of art, readied to be displayed to nobody but him.
He never slapped her or used ropes or whips. He worshipped her, and that was what I wanted to be. To not be a pawn in our Master's plans, but to be the girl he'd need and cherish like he did that woman.
"I'm sorry, Master. I- I..."
Master turned around, and his gold silk robe trailed behind him as he moved to the wall. The little girl who was the same age as me, sobbed harder, knowing exactly what was about to happen to her mother as Master approached the wall filled with weapons that he used for punishment rather than "artistic display."
"Please, Master. Please! I can make it right. Send me back. I'll get the documents." The woman begged as she pressed her hands to the floor and bowed her head over and over again.
The girl next to me stepped forward, but I grabbed her wrist. With a swift turn of her head she glared at me, those venomous green eyes filled with anger and desperation.
"You'll die," I whispered.
"We're his best Child Reapers. He won't kill me!" she snarled, tugging her arm out of my grip as she ran towards the woman who was no doubt her biological mom.
I remained in my place, knowing well that my Master had mercy for no one. He didn't care about rank. If you fucked up, it was all about what would benefit him in the end. Your life was nothing to him.
Master picked up the sword he wanted, a sharp katana with the finest silver. Just by the way it glittered and shone in the reflection of the lights above, I knew it was brand new and never used. Which meant it was sharp and deadly.
He walked towards the woman and the little girl who was called Yang. She was six and had long blonde hair and green eyes. She wasn't born into this world like I was, only brought in thanks to her mother. Which was exactly why I knew she'd made a grave mistake.
Master reached where they both stood, the woman begging Yang to move out of the way and go back to where I stood on the sidelines. Yang remained where she was, a stubborn glare on her face as her wide stance was locked in and her arms were spread out in a protective manner. Stubbornness only got you killed.
Master stared at the girl, and instead of anger, he grinned. "Yang. Are you opposing my decision?"
"Master, Mother doesn't deserve to die! She has never failed before. There must have been a mistake of some kind. Let her try again. In fact, send me! I'll retrieve the documents in her stead," Yang declared with boldness.
"No, Yang. Stop. Go back!" the woman cried, her sobs and whimpers echoing around the room. I frowned, hiding my hands that slowly clenched into fists behind my back.
This was the part I hated. The way a simple attachment could destroy everything and leave you with nothing. I wasn't going to stand there and say I wasn't hurt by what I was currently watching.
Yang's mother had also raised me, just like many of the women who were Reapers of Beauty. Her loss would upset me, and I would shed a tear. Just not here.
Yang was considered my friend. There were five of us: Minsu, Minso, and Minju who were triplets, Yang, and myself. Yang and I were the youngest, while the triplets were eight years old.
Age meant nothing when you failed. Our punishment was sex, torture, or death. Since we were too young for option one, two and three were the only options we had left.
Master appeared deep in thought as he stared at Yang. "How will you please me then, Yang?"
"I'll do anything, Master," she replied with confidence. He grinned and removed his robe, allowing it to fall to the floor.
"Give me a blowjob then," Master demanded.
I looked away, not wanting to see any of the events that were about to occur. I wished I had the power to cover my ears as well and block out the sounds.
Yang didn't understand him like I did. If she hadn’t interfered, Master would have spared her mom. Maybe a slash or two, or if he was really upset, he'd cut a limb off for safe measure. Her interference only put a target on her back, and I didn't think she'd survive this, either way, thanks to her emotional move.
I turned my head back when Master's grunts stopped and he sighed in relief. Yang was on her hands and knees, catching her breath.
"It's a shame, really," Master began, and Yang looked up at him in sheer fear. "I wasn't going to kill your mother, Yang, but you assumed I was."
Yang gawked at him and looked at her mother, whose head was down in shame. Master looked at me. His vivid golden eyes met mine and he smiled.
"Xia. You knew I wasn't going to kill Yang's mother, didn't you?" he asked.
"Yes, Master. You would have punished her and sent her back to retrieve the documentation you wished for."
Master nodded with a broad smile, the soft lines of his face making him look genuinely proud of my response. Yang, on the other hand, looked shocked and her gaze slowly met my blank expression, her green eyes filling with tears. For a second I could see her inner rage, those eyes narrowing at me like I was the reason she knelt before the Master.
That's how life always was. Try to stop someone from their own downfall and receive the hate and blame when they didn’t listen. Even though I was only six, I'd received enough hate.
Though Yang was my friend, those eyes proved that we wouldn't be if she survived this. I was now the reason for her approaching agony, and I had to hold back my sadness.
"Yang. Stand up," Master ordered. Yang scrambled to her feet, moving a little back and in front of her mother. "You may return to where Xia is standing."
Yang gave him a confused look but nodded her head. "Thank you, Master."
Her eyes met mine as she took the first steps towards me, but she paused in her movement. She must have seen the sadness in my eyes, a tear rolling down my cheek as I watched Master lift his sword.
Before Yang could turn around, Master's sword had already finished the deed. Yang's mother’s headless body fell to the ground and blood pooled around her. Yang screamed, running to her mother's body as if she could possibly save her while the woman’s head rolled off toward the corner of the room.
Master merely laughed, shaking his head as he looked at the blade; the blood from Yang’s mother dripped off the silver steel.
"Mom...Mama? No...I did what you asked!" she screamed and glared at Master who shrugged.
"You did, but that blow job was rather pathetic. And you interfered. This was your fault, Yang. No one else's."
That must have hit a nerve. Yang trembled in anger as she knelt in her mother's blood. Her head slowly turned my way and there it was: Hate.
She was blaming me for all of this. I unclenched my fists and relaxed my body, my instincts beginning to warn me that this wasn't going to end well, and I was now a target.
Before I even realized, Yang was headed right towards me, my eyes growing wide before I turned around and ran towards the wall.
With ease, I jumped off the ground, my feet touching the red walls as I used my built-up momentum to push off it and glide above Yang while she skidded to a stop.
I landed with grace, my body only three steps from Master, who looked entertained by the sudden development.
"Yang. Stop this," I said calmly.
"She was your mom too! She took care of you!" Yang screamed and raced towards me. I allowed my right leg to step back, and I took a calm breath to heighten my senses and see her movements in a slowed pace.
My powers were numerous, one of them being a type of magic that could predict an individual’s movement as well as foretell catastrophes. In this case, I could see Yang's future moves: left kick, right punch, stomach kick, neck grip, death.
She wants to kill me. I'd watched and tried to stop her, yet I was the culprit instead of Master who held a sword with her mother's blood.
Though my mind was trying to grasp the scary thought of death, my body went into defense mode, blocking her incoming moves and preventing her from catching me in a neck hold by dropping down to the floor and kicking my leg out to trip her.
She fell backward onto her ass and I quickly recovered, moving to stand protectively in front of Master. He didn't need my protection, but I knew my move would please him immensely, and I need all the advantages I could get in this situation.
"Enough!" Master shouted. Yang rose to her feet but froze in place. Her eyes were still locked onto mine, and I was doing my utmost best to remain still and fight the urge to tremble in fear.
I'd been trained since the moment I could walk to fight and defend myself, but I'd never had to physically fight to the death, and the thought was bothering me more than it should. For a Reaper of Beauty child that is.
Master walked to stand in the middle of where we were locked in a glare. He moved a step back, so we could still have a visible sight of one another.
"A Reaper of Beauty should be able to tell a lie in an effortless manner," Master proclaimed as he lowered his sword.
"Yang? Were you going to kill Xia?" he asked.
She clenched her teeth and growled, the sound vibrating against her throat. "Yes!"
My heart sank, not because of her words, but to realize she'd already lost this battle by telling the truth. She thought Master was playing around, something he did on occasion. This wasn't one of the times he'd play about the role of a Reaper.
Master nodded his head and looked at me. "Xia. Would you have killed Yang?"
I stood there and realized how important my answer was. I couldn't care about friendship or the pain my words would cause her. My life was yet again on the line, and I couldn't let Yang interfere with my lie streak. I can't let her take away my future as a Reaper of Beauty.
I stood taller while I inhaled deeply. To lie, it wasn't merely the words used. Your whole body had to agree with the lie you were about to commit, and that alone took concentration and acceptance. You have to accept that the lie is nothing but the truth.
"Yes, Master. I would have killed her." My voice was cold and my eyes that unconsciously filled with tears were filled with killer intent.
Yang gawked at me, feeling the true power of my words and realizing she'd lost this test, her eyes trailing the teardrop that rolled down my cheek and dropped to the floor.
My eyes widened, but I couldn't say a word, my throat closing off, so I wouldn't scream. Yang...
Her green eyes looked confused, but they began to fill with tears as a flicker of pain and regret filled her facial features. She slowly looked down, her eyes noticing the sword that had gone through her chest and the sight of her beating heart at the end of Master's sword.
My mind was trying to figure out how she was still standing, and I knew Master must have used some type of magic or skill to delay her death long enough for her to hear the last of his wise words.
"To be a Reaper of Beauty, you must tell the lie with your very soul. Regardless of the emotions we show on the surface, if the lie is stronger than the truth, anyone will believe you."
Yang stared at me, tears rolling down her now pale cheeks as blood began to pour from her nose and the sides of her mouth. Those big green eyes were dulling with every second and her little legs trembled, looking like she'd fall any second.
My gaze was locked on the beating heart that slowed, the pulsing movement of the bloody organ coming to a stop.
"You've failed, Yang. You can no longer be a Reaper," Master concluded. With a smooth movement, he removed his sword from Yang’s lifeless body which fell before me, her heart hitting my feet before rolling to my side.
I stared at it for who knows how long, my mind going blank at what I should have done. Even with my eyes locked onto the motionless heart, I heard Master clap his hands.
The sound of the doors opening caught my attention, but I remained where I stood. I heard Laya, another woman who helped raise me, speak after entering the room. "Master."
"Laya. Get one of the other Reapers to help you remove these bodies. Call a maid in to clean this entire place. I'll be in my other room. Minsu and Minso, take Xia back to your room. I'll ensure a good meal is sent to all of you in acknowledgment of Xia's work."
Listening to his words hurt, making me wonder if my friends thought I was the one responsible for the scene they'd just walked into. That I'd killed Yang and her mother.
I heard approaching footsteps, and two warm hands slid into mine. I couldn't look up, my eyes glued to the bloody floor and Yang's body and heart. Could I have done something? Anything else that would have stopped her from being killed?
The two slowly urged me to move away, and though my body moved at their command, my mind had already absorbed the gruesome image.
We reached the door before Master called out, "Xia."
I stopped, prompting the two sisters to stop as well. With immense difficulty, I finally responded. "Yes, Master." My voice was low with no emotion.
"255. Congrats and continue on your path to becoming a Reaper of Beauty," Master praised. No words could describe the dread I felt, but the number meant everything to me. That number that continued to grow until I reached 1000 Lies. The number that determined my freedom in this world.
"Thank you."
That was all I could say. I was using the majority of my power not to break down, not to rewind what I'd just witnessed in my mind repeatedly.
Minsu and Minso tugged me along as two other Reapers and a maid walked past us. My gaze was locked on my feet, noticing the blood stains that were on my pale bare skin and white kimono outfit.
I couldn't recall when we'd reached our bedroom on the other side of Master's palace which during the day, people assumed was a private shrine. It wasn't until the door closed behind us and Minso lifted my head to meet her pink eyes that I realized we'd arrived.
"Let's clean you up," she said with a sad smile.
Their third sister, Minju, was on the bed, and one look at me had her pausing mid page turn of the magazine she was reading.
"Xia? What happened? Where's Yang?"
Tears formed in my eyes and the sisters glared at Minju who flinched, realizing what she'd done. "Let's take a warm bath so you'll have the energy to eat something. We'll help you," Minsu encouraged.
They tried to lead me to the bathroom, but I stood my ground. My head fell back down in shame.
"...I...didn't...do it," I whispered.
They were silent, as a whimper escaped me. "I didn't...I didn't..." I tried to continue, but sobs began to escape me, breaking my sentences and making it impossible for me to continue. I felt arms wrap around me--Minso, Minsu, and then Minju's arms as they gave me a group hug.
"We know," they said in unison, which only prompted me to cry harder.
"We saw, Xia," Minso revealed. "We know Master killed Yang and her mother."
"Even if I wasn't present, I know you would never kill Yang on your own accord. We know the circumstance we're all in, even if it's not our choice. Don't cry," Minju reassured.
All I could do was nod my head as they led me to the washroom to strip out of the blood-stained clothes; the stains of Yang's blood.
My friends. They’d grown to understand that we might one day have to kill each other if Master willed it. It hurt to realize what position we were in, none of us having a choice in the matter, but all I could wish for us was to gain strength and the opportunity to prove our worthiness to Master.
That was the only hope I had to reach 1000 Lies and become a real member of the Reapers, instead of a pawn in Master's games.
255 Lies Down. 745 To Go.